Wall board fastener



May 24, L. H LEE WALL BOARD FASTENER Filed July 8, 1930 INVENTORPatented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE,

LEIEFMAN H. LEE, OF BELLEVU'E, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR or oNE-sIx'rH ToWIL- LIAM B. WHARTON AND oNE-sIx'rH TO JAMES M. GUTHRIE, BOTH OFPITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA WALL BOARD FASTENER Application filed July 8, 1930. Serial170,466,378.

This invention relates to a fastening device; a device for installationin plates, or structural members of metaL- The device embodies certainnew and useful characteristics, and, in the following specification Ishall show one of the many applications in which the device may beemployed. Notice is hereby given of my co-pending applications SerialNo. 446,419, filed April 22nd,

1930, Serial No. 450,144, filed May 6th, 1930, and Serial No. 477,810,filed August 26th, 1930.

In the accompanying drawings Fig- I is a view in cross section, showingfragmentarily a portion of a structural steel section, in which elementthe thimble or cup portion of my fastening device-has been installed,and showing in side elevation a nailable plug, ready for permanentinsertion in said thimble; Fig. Ia shows in plan the open end of thethimble; Fig. II is a view in'cross section, similar to that of Fig. I,showin the plug permanently nested within the t imble, and the thimblepermanently looked within the steel section; Fig. III is a. fragmentaryview, in side elevation, of the abutting edges of two wall-formingboards; three complete wall fasteners are shown in position of service;and Fig. IV is a View in cross section, taken on the plane IV-IV of Fig.

III, illustrating the manner in which a complete fastener secures thewall boards to a structural steel frame member.

The steel plates or steel frame members 1,

to which wall boards, ground strips, or other fixtures are to besecured, are provided with orifices 2 for the reception of cups orthimbles 3 at convenient points throughout the length of the steel framemembers. Within each cup 3 a plug 4 is secured, the plug being anailable pluga plug which has the capacity of receiving and retaining adriven nail, or a screw. The thimblesthemselves 7 are of distinctiveconstruction; they are conveniently stamped of sheet metal, such asbrass, copper, steel, copper-coated steel etc. After the thimbles areformed they are annealed, to afford a certain degree of ductility orexpansibility. a

The orifices 2, as they are formed in the frame members 1, vary slightlyin size. To the end that the insertion of the thimbles may be readilyaccomplished, the lower portion 3a (Fig. I) of each thimble is ofdiminished cross-sectional extent. One end of the I thimble comprises aflange 36, overlying the peripheral edge 2a of the orifice 2 whereinitis fitted; the other terminal of the thimble includes a portion forlimiting the extent of insertion of its associated plug 4. Suchplug-limiting portion advantageously is a flange or web 30. Eachthimblealso includes in structure a plurality of inwardly-extending projections3d; these projections 3d are stamped from the wall material of the thim}ble at 36, and deflected downward to approximately the position in whichthey are illustrated in Fig. I.

It will be noted that projections 361, when the thimble is inserted inan orifice 2, are located adjacent the lower periphery 2b of theorifice. As a whole, the structure of the thimble is such that thepowerful insertion of the plug 4 serves to adjust the thimble to alocked position within the orifice 2. That is to say, without the aid ofseparately formed locking means, the thimble is so constituted that theinsertion of a plug 4 (as shown in Fig. II) is adapted to expandthethimble into locking position in the orifice 2. The plug 4, as isevident, co-operates with the thimble to efiect a locking of the thimblein the orifice. When the plug has been powerfully moved into the thimble(Fig. II), the projections 367 will have been pressed to overlappingposition on the inner wall of the thimble, and, as a result, the wall ofthe thime ble (at the regions 3;) will have been distorted or bulged towedge securely the assembled plug and thimble within the orifice. Asmentioned above, the plug 4 is a nailable plug, and advantageously it isformed of a slightly compressible material, such as wood or hemp. As amatter of fact, creosote-treated maple plugs have been formed tofunction well. It is also of importance to form the plugs slightlylarger in cross-section than the bore of the thimble. This is for thereason that upon driving the plug into the thimble (it being i '3 of theorifice becomessecuredinthe orifice.

iii

The bulging of the thimble Wall, particularly the bulging of the wall ata localized-region (87) intermediate the length of the body of thethimble, affords additionalimeaus-foli p11? venting the removal of thethimble. A nail onscrew which isdriven intothe plug-of such an,assembleddevice has been found to be e y. cur y-h d;

' Thesecuringof; wall: boards to steel-frame membershas alwaysjbeenaproblem. The

i a v n cllps, expansion devices, and clamps which liavebeen,employedwhitherto have been costly to install. LpIiOVldQ a devicewhich permits a nailjtobelquickly driven into the metal frame of abuilding'f a device which requires butylittle more time to .install thanis required for the off. a nail into wooden fie me members. IInjsecuring wall boards, sucltas the boards 30, tothe steel framemembers ('1);of"a,buil-ding,.the edges of the wall boards arebrought'toabutting positionvover the aligned series. oforifiizes-Q in the steelmembers (Fig. ITI Any desired number of fastening devices (3, at):having. first been ins tilldgas desired in the steel member. (1), the,wallgboards are permanently a ttachcd by means of disks or plates 40.and driven nails (seeFigU- IV'); The disks 40 may eachibe in. form ;aflat pieceof 'meta-l, as shown; and, they-may conveniently be perforatedfor the betterretention ,of such outer. coat of plaster s n.al ..v. heppied to. h n tle l boards! Through each disltAQga nail 41 is di ivem;between the. edges. 31 of the wall were. .3 and nto a asteni ev 3, eabeards, id t r i i a e r a1 ma quickly andistrongly secured Q.tHe,t-.eel; tame f r a- The \vebB for, positively limiting the ,extent of;insertion of the plug V 4' prevents the plug, from beingforced throughthe thimble I nailing, and the metal of which the thirnble is formedjisdesirably of such nature that the nail may driven throughit, in 7dicatedinFig. IV} v In this specification Ifgshow thimbles or cupsavhich, upon the driving of -a nai.lable pliig into. each 'thimble,expand :into locked position Within an orifice, That is, theinsertionofj a,pl:ug. .into a thimble is adaptedto effect the lateralexp ansion of the .thimble, whereby-the wallfof 'tlie thimble is eitherlaterally, bulged or displaced, into a locking: ;posi tionovertlieperipheral edge, ofthe orifice wherein it' is fitted."ierlthouglrthe co-operation between the thimble and the plug in thisrespect is to my mind preferable, I contemplate the use of a specialmachine or tool to effect the expansion of a thimble into lockedposition within a steel frame member, the plug being later inserted.

' I claim as my invention:

1 In-combination With a steel frame member. having, an. orifice,. a,fastening. device to permit; the nailing. of material, immediately tosuch steel frame member, wliichLfasteningadevicencomprises athin-Walledbody of metal which is secured in said orifice, said thinwalled bodyincluding a portion overlying the one peripheral edge of saidorifice, the Wall: Qf saidAbQdy. beingalaterally. expansible tooverheat; appoint intermediate. :its length the. other: peripheraledgerofssaidzorie iice, andranailable. plug laterallyccompressedandsecuredinsaid'body. I

2; In combination with;asteeLframamemher having an orifice, a;fastening(lQVlCGzlZO permit the nailing. of; material. immediately to such. steelframe .member, which; fastening comprises a .thin-walledibody. of. metalwhich is. located in saidv orifice, said. thinrwalled body including aportion overlying the one peripheraliedge ofzsaid .orifioe,iand=anailable plugswhich iis laterally. compressed into see cure positionwithin said'body, said-shod, also including a wall 1: portion. which:is. ac j 'usted, upon the bringing-of; the. plug to. such compressedposition, toioverliethe other 111 ripheral edge ofsaid orifice.v

3.. In combination :witha .steel :frame ,meznber. havingan orifice, afasteningideviceio permit the.nailingaofmaterial immediately to; suchsteel: frame, member, which; fasten; ingzdevice comprises athin-walledbody. of metal which issecured in-said'zorifice,.saidthin-walled'bodyincluding aportionoverlyr ing the oneperipheraledge=ofsaidgorifice, the wall of said body beinglaterally-expansible to overlie the other peripheral edge of saidorifice, andanailable plug laterally compressed and securedin said body,said body also including in its structure means for the limitation; ofthe insertion of said plug'in the body.

4; In combination with'a steel frame memberhaving-anorifice, a fasteningdevice to permit the nailing of; materialimmediately to such steel framemember, whiclr fastening comprises a thin-Walledjbody of -metal whichislocatedin said orifice, said thin- Walled body includingapportionoverlying the one peripheral; edgeof "said orifice, and anailable "plug Which-islaterally compressed into secureposition Withinsaid body, said body also includinga Wall" portion! which is adjusted,upon the bringing; of ftheplug: to such compressed position, to overliethe other peripheraledge of said orifice, said-body-also including inits structure lneans-forlthellimitation of the insertion of said plug inthe body.

5. In combination with a steel frame member having an orifice, afastening device to permit the nailing of material immediately to suchsteel frame member, which fastening device comprises a thin-walled bodyof metal which is located in said orifice, said thin- I walled bodincluding a portion overlying the one peripheral edge of said orifice, awall portion which extends into the bore of said body, and a nailableplug which is inserted and secured in the body, the insertion of saidplug being adapted to move said wall portion and to effect the lateralexpansion of the wall of said body over the other periphery of saidorifice.

6. In combination with a steel frame member having an orifice, afastening device to permit the nailing of material immediately to suchsteel frame member, which fastening device comprises a thin-walled bodyof metal which is located in said orifice, said thinwalled bodyincluding a portion overlying the one peripheral edge of said orifice, awall portion of said body ofiset inwardly thereof, and a nailable plugwhich is inserted and secured in saidbody, the insertion of said plugbeing adapted to move said wall portion and to effect the lateralexpansion of the Wall of said body over the other periphery of saidorifice, said body also including in its structure means for thelimitation of the insertion of said plug in said body.

7 A plug-receiving member for the securing of a nailable plug within anorifice, which member includes a thin-walled body of metal, means at theone terminus of such body for limiting the insertion of the member insaid orifice, and means adjacent the other terminus of said body forlimiting the insertion of said plug in said member, the wall of saidmember being adapted, upon the insertion of said plug, to yieldlaterally into tight engagement with said orifice, and to bulge, at apoint intermediate its length, into locking position in said orifice.

8. A plug-receiving memberfor the securing of a nailable plug within anorifice, which member includes a thin-walled body of metal adapted to beinserted in said orifice, said member being adapted to receive anailable plug, and the wall of said body being adapted, upon thereception of said plug, to yield laterally into tight engagement withsaid orifice, and to bulge at a point intermediate its length intolocking position in said orifice. V V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEFFMAN H. LEE.

